I’ll give you my taxes if…

According to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va), over 45 percent of the people in this country don’t pay income taxes at all, and we have to question whether that’s fair.

If the people don’t have the money to give, I would say it’s fair. Give them decent jobs to where they can adequately pay taxes and the Republicans have nothing to whine about. Let me put it another way.

My paychecks average roughly $742 a month gross income. After taxes, social security, Medicare, retirement, and anything else that you can imagine comes out of my paycheck, the actual money that I receive is along the lines of $667 a month. That’s not enough for a person to live off of and I look forward to my tax return to help me pay bills. I’m not jet setting around the globe, gambling in Las Vegas, or making a down payment on a brand new car. Though I know of many middleclass and working poor Americans who do use their tax returns for such frivolities, I only wish I had the luxury to indulge.

Yet, as a responsible, bill-laden member of the working poor, I’ll make a deal with the Republicans. They can have my measly little tax return (the whole darn thing) if they put the money towards (1) Universal Health Care so I’m assured that any days off I take for illness will be relatively few. (2) Education so that Universities will be better funded and feel confident in hiring new faculty — such as myself — and my tax contribution will be even bigger than before. (3) To other programs within the Federal Government that will benefit others and help them get ahead. That way this country will be a much better place to live by giving me a sense of contentment that my little tax contribution will go to a good cause.

Although, if you were planning to give my little tax contribution to the 1% (that you insist are the so called “job creators”), I would rather keep my tax return and pay a few bills. That way I can be sure that my taxes directly benefit the economy and me rather than having my taxes (1) squirreled away into a foreign bank account. (2) Pay for a completely unnecessary vacation to the Caymen Islands. (3) Used to pay bonuses to CEO’s at a bankrupt company. I know there are some Republicans in the middle class who would agree with me.

Furthermore, I would also like to address Republicans and their use of “Obamacare.” Senator Scott Brown’s (R-Mass) two daughters are covered under Brown’s congressional health insurance plan. Yet, he has vowed to be the 41st vote to block President Obama’s healthcare law. This is a vow that he’s kept.

What doesn’t make sense to me is if Brown opposes Obamacare so much, why is he using it? If he thinks that the law is completely worthless, his daughters (both in their early 20s) would have their own health insurance and not enjoy Brown’s health insurance benefits.

In utilizing this aspect of Obamacare, Scott Brown is saving money that he can well afford to spend. He and his wife have raked in over a half million dollars last year. Humans can be hypocritical in many ways. Yet, to be a trusted Federal official (trusted because he was voted into office) and be hypocritical to a severe degree is alarming.

What I’m trying to say is, if you’re against it, don’t use it. If you use it, you shouldn’t be against it. This makes me wonder just how many Republicans who are against Obamacare (all of them?) use certain aspects of it.

Finally, on a different note, to those of you who are interested, my podcast will be out this weekend. I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to get out my first podcast. Chalk it up to cold feet. My purpose with the podcast is to explore Common Sense, or lack of, in the world around me. It’s also to help me with my public speaking. I think I’ve said this before. Wish me luck and I hope you like it if you choose to listen.